1. Field of the Invention
The inventions relates to foods, food supplements, and or nutriceuticals containing sterol and/or stanol esters and cocoa polyphenols and processes for producing same. The products prepared by the processes of this invention have conserved levels of polyphenols.
2. Background of the Invention
Polyphenolic compounds are bioactive substances that are derived from plant materials and are closely associated with the sensory and nutritional quality of products derived from these plant materials.
Many plant polyphenols have antioxidant activity and numerous health benefits. Consumption of the cocoa polyphenols in cocoa products provides significant health benefits. Cocoa polyphenols have been shown to have beneficial effects on the processes believed to be involved in the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Cocoa polyphenols inhibit LDL oxidation, enhance nitric oxide/nitric oxide synthase (NO/NOS) activity, and inhibit cyclo-oxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) activity. These effects are reported in WO 97/36497 published Oct. 9, 1997. Cocoa polyphenols can also be used to treat or prevent conditions which are known to be affected by the administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for example, aspirin.
Despite the benefits of cocoa polyphenols on a number of pathways and conditions associated with induction and progression of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD), it has been found that these compounds do not have a noticeable cholesterol-lowering effect. Thus, improved compositions containing polyphenols in combination with at least one cholesterol-lowering agent such as sterols and/or stanols or their esters have been prepared. The compositions have enhanced effects on the vascular health of a mammal, particularly a human, in comparison to previously known compositions containing polyphenols or cholesterol-lowering agents. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,610,320 issued Aug. 26, 2003 to H. H. Schmitz et al.
It is known that cocoa polphenols can be lost during the processing of cocoa ingredients containing cocoa polyphenols (e.g., cocoa solids, chocolate liquor, cocoa nibs, and cocoa extracts) into food products. Cocoa polyphenol losses can be avoided by pretreating the carbohydrate and/or the milk ingredient(s) used in food products with an antioxidant, an emulsifier, a fat, and/or a flavorant prior to the addition of the cocoa ingredient(s). See U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,020 issued Feb. 27, 2001 to M. E. Myers et al).
Foods and dietary supplements containing cocoa ingredients and cholesterol-lowering agents such as sterols and/or stanols or their have been prepared. See the '320 patent discussed above. The sterols/stanols or their esters may be added to the food or dietary supplement simply by mixing the sterol, stanol, and/or esters into the other ingredients. To facilitate mixing, the sterols/stanols may be first dissolved in a solubilizing agent such as a fat, a vegetable oil, a monoglyceride, diglyceride, or triglyceride, and/or tocopherols or suspended or emulsified in carriers such as water, alcohol polyol, or other edible compound in which the sterols/stanols or esters are at least partially soluble, for example chocolate liquor. During the preparation of a cholesterol-lowering dark chocolate, for example, the sterols/stanols may be added to the dry mix containing the sugar and the butter or less preferably they may be added to the melted chocolate. During the preparation of a toffee chew the sugar and the cocoa powder were pre-blended and then mixed with the caramel. Free phytosterols (as in pulverized) were added to the sugar and cocoa mix. During the preparation of granola bars the syrup blend was prepared by melting palm kernel oil at 45° and adding to the oil a mixture of corn syrup, glycerin, cocoa powder, brown sugar, salt, lecithin and propyl gallate and then blending in nuts or soy puffs and semi-sweet chocolate pieces.